The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
In the art of semiconductor processing, for example, a chuck or susceptor is used to hold a substrate (or wafer) and to provide a uniform temperature profile to the substrate during processing. This support assembly may include the electrostatic chuck with an embedded electrode, and a heater plate that is bonded to the electrostatic chuck through an adhesive layer. A heater is secured to the heater plate, which can be an etched-foil heater, by way of example.
This heater assembly is bonded to a cooling plate, again through an adhesive layer. The substrate is disposed on the electrostatic chuck, and the electrode is connected to a voltage source such that electrostatic power is generated, which holds the substrate in place. A radio frequency (RF) or microwave power source may be coupled to the electrostatic chuck within a plasma reactor chamber that surrounds the support assembly. The heater thus provides requisite heat to maintain temperature on the substrate during various in-chamber plasma semiconductor processing steps, including plasma enhanced film deposition or etch.
During all phases of processing of the substrate, the temperature profile of the electrostatic chuck is tightly controlled in order to reduce processing variations within the substrate being etched, while reducing total processing time. Devices and methods for improving temperature uniformity on the substrate are continually desired in the art of semiconductor processing, among other applications.